Lyophilization, which can also be referred to as freeze-drying, is a dehydration process typically used to preserve a perishable target material or make the target material more convenient for transport. Lyophilization works by freezing the target material and then reducing the surrounding pressure and adding sufficient heat to allow the frozen water in the target material to sublimate directly from a solid to a gas. The gas is then removed from the target material to complete dehydration.
Conventional lyophilization processes are carried out with freeze-drying machines. A typical freeze-drying machine includes a lyophilization chamber, within which the target material is disposed during the lyophilization process. The lyophilization chamber generally includes a box-shaped structure having one or more sidewalls, a top wall, and a bottom wall. Moreover, the chamber can include one or more shelves or racks, for example, for storing the target material.